‘American Idol’: The Best And Worst Changes Made To The ABC Reboot

American Idol was a national sensation when it first debuted back in 2002 and remained a TV juggernaut for years. But after 15 seasons, things got stale and Fox finally laid the music reality pioneer to rest.

But in an age of reboots, ABC is taking over the franchise only two years after the farewell season aired.

The show is going to have to make quite a few changes to recapture the audience it once had, but did producers do enough to pique our interest?

FANDOM is breaking down the changes below, taking a look at what worked and what left us thinking the show was better off buried.

The Look

Despite a move to another network, the show did not receive much of a makeover. In fact, it looks exactly the same. The vibe, the shots, the packages, the footage between clips, the transitions, the editing — it is all the same. Even Ryan Seacrest is back to host the show, although there’s something about his appearance that adds a welcome feeling of nostalgia to the whole thing.

When the Queer Eye reboot debuted on Netflix last month, it came with a slick makeover that included documentary-style quality that caught the attention of new fans. But the ABC Idol looks exactly like it did on Fox in 2016, which isn’t far off from how it looked back in 2002. And that’s not a good thing when it comes to attempting a fresh start.

The Judges

The one change that was made for the reboot, however, is the panel of judges. This time around it’s Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan at the judge’s table attempting to breathe new life into the show. Their personalities are fun and their critiques are thoughtful, but it’s just not the same as the Simon Cowell days. The chemistry and quips from Cowell and Co. were half of what made the show so great at the height of its popularity.

One thing that’s great about the panel though is their honest critiques. Although respectful, they aren’t overly concerned with sugarcoating things and seem willing to give plenty of constructive criticism — even when it’s not easy to take. They weren’t afraid to tell a young woman who screamed throughout most of her audition that the music business was not for her, and the straightforward critiques give the show more credibility.

The Auditions

Although the audition segments still feature contestants who don’t nail their performances, they no longer purposely showcase terrible singers as a way to get a chuckle from the audience. The way the judges used to laugh and make fun of the horrible hopefuls would no longer fly today anyway.

They managed to replace the bad auditions with something more entertaining by including quirky contestants with huge personalities. When an eccentric redhead named Catie Turner burst into the room full of awkward giggles and hilarious catchphrases she managed to be funny without being horrible or made fun of. In fact, she ended up having an incredible voice and an amazing original song. And it quickly became clear that watching people’s dreams come true is still able to elicit a tear or two.

Will there be more changes to the series as the season progresses? It’s certainly possible. But for now, those afraid of change or fueled by nostalgia will likely enjoy the Idol reboot the most. Everyone else may find the old formula a bit stale.